A complete critical guide to the history, form and contexts of the genre, helps readers explore how comics have engaged with one of their most crucial audiences. In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book covers such topics as: - The history of comics for children and young adults, from early cartoon strips to the rise of comics as mainstream children's literature - Cultural contexts – from the Comics Code Authority to graphic novel adaptations of popular children's texts such as Neil Gaiman's - Key texts – from familiar favourites like and to YA graphic novels such as Gene Luen Yang's and hybrid works including the series - Important theoretical and critical approaches to studying children's and young adult comics includes a glossary of crucial critical terms and a lengthy resources section to help students and readers develop their understanding of these genres and pursue independent study.